BILL NUMBER: AB 2111 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 2, 2014
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Ammiano
FEBRUARY 20, 2014
An act to add Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 8253) to
Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of, and to repeal
Article 7.1 (commencing with Section 54740) of Chapter 9 of Part 29
of Division 4 of Title 2 of, the Education Code, relating to child
development services.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2111, as amended, Ammiano. Child development services: pregnant
and parenting teens: Cal-SAFE.
Existing law, the California School Age Families Education Program
(Cal-SAFE), provides state funding and assistance to school
districts and county superintendents of schools for the purpose of
establishing comprehensive, continuous, community linked,
school-based programs that focus on youth development and dropout
prevention for pregnant and parenting pupils, and child care and
development services for their children. Cal-SAFE requires
participating entities to develop a county service coordination plan,
which is required to contain specified information, including, but
not limited to, the incidence of pregnant and parenting pupils
receiving welfare aid by a method to be determined by the State
Department of Education.
This bill would revise and recast the Cal-SAFE program. The bill
would, among other things, specify that a Cal-SAFE program may
provide for any or all of the supportive services for teen parents
or any , as specified, and an early
learning and educational support program for the voluntarily
enrolled children of the teen parents. The bill would authorize
a school district, charter school, or county superintendent of
schools to participate in a Cal-Safe program and would authorize the
above entities to use funds appropriated according to the local
control funding formula for purposes of the Cal-SAFE program. The
bill would require the entities, if operating an early learning and
educational support program for the children of teen parents
participating in the Cal-SAFE program, to adhere to certain health,
safety, and quality requirements, including that each child have a
developmental profile. The bill would impose va rious
other requirements.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 8253) is added to
Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code,
to read:
Article 9.5. California School Age Family
Families Education Program
8253. This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the
California School Age Families Education Program (Cal-SAFE).
8253.1. (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that
school-based programs for pregnant expectant
and parenting teens pupils and
their children offering a wide range of educational and support
services, including early learning and educational support services,
which begin during pregnancy and continue after childbirth, have been
successful in increasing school enrollment and high school
graduation rates, and reducing the incidence of low birth weight
babies and repeat pregnancies.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the operation
of comprehensive, continuous, and community linked school-based
programs that focus on youth development , reduction of chronic
school -based absenteeism, and dropout prevention
for pregnant expectant and parenting
pupils and on early learning and educational support services for
their children for the purpose of improving results for pupils and
their children.
(c) It is the intent of the Legislature that these programs
achieve all the following goals:
(1) Pupils served who receive program services for one or more
years will earn a high school diploma or its equivalent or
demonstrate progress toward completion of educational goals.
(2) Pupils served who graduate will transition to postsecondary
education, including a technical school, or into the world of work.
(3) Pupils served and their children will not live their lives in
poverty.
(4) Pupils served will demonstrate effective parenting skills.
(5) Pupils served will not have a repeat birth or father a repeat
pregnancy before graduation from high school.
(6) Pregnant Expectant pupils served
will not have a low birth weight baby.
(7) Children of enrolled teen parents in early learning and
educational support programs will receive services based upon the
assessed developmental and health needs of each child.
(8) Children of enrolled teen parents served will receive health
screening and immunizations except when the custodial parent annually
provides a written request for an exemption pursuant to Section
49451 and Section 120365 of the Health and Safety Code.
(9) Children of enrolled teen parents served will have enhanced
school readiness, and demonstrate progress toward meeting their
assessed developmental goals.
(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that Cal-SAFE programs
should be integrated coordinated with
any local Adolescent Family Life programs , Nurse Family
Partnership Home Visiting programs, and Cal-Learn programs in a
manner that avoids duplication of services.
8253.2. For the purposes of this article, the following
definitions terms have the following meanings:
(a) "Cal-SAFE" means the California School Age Families Education
Program.
(b) "Children" or "child" means the children or child of a teen
parent from the time of the child's birth until enrollment either in
transitional kindergarten or kindergarten.
(c) "Early learning and educational support program" means
developmentally appropriate learning activities for the children of
teen parents that are provided when the child's teen parent is, or
parents are, enrolled in and participating in a school-approved
activity during the school day.
(d) "Intake process" means the interactive process upon enrollment
into the Cal-SAFE program to assess the services needed by the teen
parent that are deemed necessary to meet program goals.
(d)
(e) "Local Control Funding Formula" means the funding
provided to county superintendents of schools, school districts, and
charter schools as provided pursuant to Chapter 12.5 (commencing with
Section 2574) of Part 2 and Article 2 (commencing with Section
42238.02) of Chapter 7 of Part 24 of Division 3 of Title 2.
(e)
(f) "Teen parent" means a female who is pregnant or a
male who voluntarily identifies himself as the parent of an unborn
child, or who is the parent of a child, and is a minor of any
age or a dependent adult, and who is enrolled in a school
in the school district or ,
charter school , or school of the county superintendent of
schools that provides services.
(g) "Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 Regulations"
means Public Law 92-318 and the regulations set forth in Section
106.1 and following of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations,
which, among other things, prohibit discrimination against pupils
because of their pregnant or parenting status.
8253.3. (a) As provided for in this article, a Cal-SAFE program
may provide any or all of the supportive services for teen parents
set forth in Section 8253.4 that are assessed to be needed
through an intake process relative to pupils who voluntarily enroll
in the program, and may provide an early learning and
educational support program for the voluntarily enrolled
children of teen parents.
(b) Participation by a school district, charter school, or county
superintendent of schools in a Cal-SAFE program is voluntary and may
be paid for with local control funding formula funds appropriated to
the school district, charter school, or county superintendent of
schools.
(c) Any school district, charter school, or county superintendent
of schools choosing to provide early learning and educational support
program services located on or near the schoolsite for the children
of teen parents participating in the Cal-SAFE program using
funds received pursuant to the local control funding formula, or any
other funds, shall adhere to all of the following health,
safety, and quality requirements:
(1) Each child shall have a health evaluation form signed by a
physician, or the physician's designee, before the child is allowed
on the school campus or is enrolled in an early learning and
educational support program. Health screening and immunization shall
not be required when the custodial parent annually files a written
request as provided for in Section 49451 and Section 120365 of the
Health and Safety Code.
(2) Each child shall have a developmental profile as specified in
subdivision (b) of Section 8203.5. This profile shall be used by the
program staff to design a program that meets the developmental needs
of the child.
(3) The child care site environment shall be safe, healthy, and
comfortable for children and staff, easily maintained, and
appropriate for meeting the developmental needs of the individual
child. Child care sites shall meet the health and safety requirements
specified in Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 101151) including
Subchapter 2 (commencing with Section 101351) of Division 12 of Title
22 of the California Code of Regulations.
(4) The early learning and educational support component of the
Cal-SAFE program shall operate pursuant to applicable sections of
this chapter. In addition to meeting requirements of Section 8360,
teachers shall have at least three semester units, or the equivalent
number of quarter units, of coursework related to the care of infants
and toddlers.
(5) The child care site shall be available as a laboratory for
parenting or related courses that are offered by the funded agency
with priority given to pupils whose children are enrolled in the
Cal-SAFE early learning and educational support program.
(d) Cal-SAFE programs shall participate in the established data
collection and evaluation system to track outcomes and effectiveness
of programming.
8253.4. (a) In addition to providing an academic program that
meets applicable standards, school districts, charter schools, and
county superintendents of schools may provide supportive services to
teen parents in accordance with the intent of the local control
funding formula to improve the outcomes of high need pupil
populations , including, but not limited to , the
following services:
(1) Parenting education and life skills instruction.
(2) Perinatal education and care, including childbirth
preparation.
(3) Safe home-to-school transportation.
(4) Case management services.
(5) Comprehensive health education, including reproductive health.
(6) Nutrition education, counseling, and meal supplements.
(7) School safety and violence prevention strategies targeted to
expectant and parenting teens and their children.
(8) Academic support and youth development services, such as
tutoring, mentoring, and community service internships.
(9) Career counseling, preemployment skills, and job training.
(10) Substance abuse prevention education, counseling, and
treatment services.
(11) Mental health assessment, interventions, and referrals.
(12) Crisis intervention counseling services, including suicide
prevention.
(13) Peer support groups and counseling.
(14) Family support and development services, including individual
and family counseling.
(15) Child and domestic abuse prevention education, counseling,
and services.
(16) Enrichment and recreational activities, as appropriate.
(17) Services that facilitate transition to postsecondary
education, training, or employment.
(18) Support services for grandparents, siblings, and fathers of
children not enrolled in the Cal-SAFE program.
(19) Outreach activities to identify eligible pupils and to
educate the community about the realities of teen pregnancy and
parenting.
(b) School districts, charter schools, and county superintendents
of schools may collaborate with local Adolescent Family Life
programs, Cal-Learn programs, or other local programs, regardless of
fund source, to provide the services in subdivision (a).
(c) Teen parents may be enrolled in the Cal-SAFE program on an
open entry and open exit basis.
(d) Although the classroom is the recommended instructional
strategy, enrolled teen parents retain their right to voluntarily
participate in any comprehensive school or educational alternative
programs in which they could otherwise enroll and shall not
experience discrimination prohibited by the Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972 Regulations.
(e) An enrolled teen parent with an active special education
individualized education plan (IEP) and who meets the eligibility
criteria shall continue to receive services identified in the IEP
while concurrently enrolled in a Cal-SAFE program.
(f) A pupil may not be denied initial or continuous enrollment in
a Cal-SAFE program for any of the following reasons:
(1) The pupil has had multiple pregnancies.
(2) The pupil has more than one child.
(3) The pupil's eligibility status changes from expectant to
parenting.
(g) A pupil or the pupil's family shall not be assessed any fees
for services provided through the Cal-SAFE program.
SEC. 2. Article 7.1 (commencing with Section 54740) of Chapter 9
of Part 29 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code is
repealed.